Chandi Schwab
1. Exercise to Burn Calories
The more time spent exercising and the more vigorous the exercise, the more calories you will burn. Even if you are taking a brisk walk every day, this is probably the single most important piece of advice for anyone wanting to burn more calories.
Obviously, when you exercise, your body burns calories to fuel your activity. But exercise is the gift that keeps on giving. That's because even after your workout has ended, your body is still burning more calories.
While it's hard to pinpoint just how long this effect lasts (it varies depending on body composition and level of training), it is safe to say your metabolic rate can be elevated with aerobic exercise for at least 24 hours. If you want to prolong this calorie-burning effect, exercise for longer periods of time. Studies have shown that with increases in exercise time, the elevation in resting metabolic rate is prolonged.
The more time spent exercising and the more vigorous the exercise, the more calories you will burn. Even if you are taking a brisk walk every day, this is probably the single most important piece of advice for anyone wanting to burn more calories.
Obviously, when you exercise, your body burns calories to fuel your activity. But exercise is the gift that keeps on giving. That's because even after your workout has ended, your body is still burning more calories.
While it's hard to pinpoint just how long this effect lasts (it varies depending on body composition and level of training), it is safe to say your metabolic rate can be elevated with aerobic exercise for at least 24 hours. If you want to prolong this calorie-burning effect, exercise for longer periods of time. Studies have shown that with increases in exercise time, the elevation in resting metabolic rate is prolonged.
2. Do Strength Training to Build Muscle
When you exercise, you use muscle. This helps build muscle mass, and muscle tissue burns more calories (even when you're at rest) than body fat. Approximately 10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories. Interesting huh?
The most effective way to increase metabolism and burn more calories is by aerobic exercise and strength training. Both together, are important for burning fat and calories. Strength training becomes especially important as we get older, when our metabolisms tend to slow down. One way to stop this is to add some strength training to your workout at least a couple of times a week. The largest muscles (and therefore the largest calorie burners) are in the thighs, abdomen, chest, and arms.
When you exercise, you use muscle. This helps build muscle mass, and muscle tissue burns more calories (even when you're at rest) than body fat. Approximately 10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories. Interesting huh?
The most effective way to increase metabolism and burn more calories is by aerobic exercise and strength training. Both together, are important for burning fat and calories. Strength training becomes especially important as we get older, when our metabolisms tend to slow down. One way to stop this is to add some strength training to your workout at least a couple of times a week. The largest muscles (and therefore the largest calorie burners) are in the thighs, abdomen, chest, and arms.
3. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Every time you eat a meal or snack, your gastrointestinal tract turns on, and starts digesting food and absorbing nutrients. It burns calories when you fire up the human digestion machine, so it makes sense that the more small meals or snacks you eat through the day, the more calories you'd burn.
But many experts believe that, compared to eating one or two very large meals, this is a more healthful way of eating anyway. And if it leads to even a few extra calories being burned, even better!
4. Don't Skip Breakfast
Some research has shown that when people skip breakfast, they tend to eat more calories by the end of the day. When you haven't eaten for 8 or more hrs straight through the night and then continue to starve yourself after that, your metabolism slows down quite a bit, meaning less calories burned and more stored as fat. While we could use more research in this area, eating a healthy breakfast certainly makes sense as a lifestyle habit.
Every time you eat a meal or snack, your gastrointestinal tract turns on, and starts digesting food and absorbing nutrients. It burns calories when you fire up the human digestion machine, so it makes sense that the more small meals or snacks you eat through the day, the more calories you'd burn.
But many experts believe that, compared to eating one or two very large meals, this is a more healthful way of eating anyway. And if it leads to even a few extra calories being burned, even better!
4. Don't Skip Breakfast
Some research has shown that when people skip breakfast, they tend to eat more calories by the end of the day. When you haven't eaten for 8 or more hrs straight through the night and then continue to starve yourself after that, your metabolism slows down quite a bit, meaning less calories burned and more stored as fat. While we could use more research in this area, eating a healthy breakfast certainly makes sense as a lifestyle habit.
5. Eat Low-Fat Dairy
The calcium from low-fat dairy doesn't specifically help burn more calories, but it may do a couple of things to help discourage body fat. Results from a recent Danish study suggest that we might absorb fewer fat calories from a meal when we consume calcium from low-fat dairy.
In another recent study, eating more calcium-rich foods, including low-fat dairy products, appeared to be linked to lower amounts of belly fat, particularly in young adult white males.
6. Drink 8 Cups of Water a Day
Just about everything you call on your body to do burns calories, including absorbing and utilizing water while maintaining fluid balance. Drinking almost eight cups of water (2 liters) may help burn nearly 100 extra calories a day. That may not sound like much, but it could add up to 700 calories a week or 2,800 calories a month. And that's by doing something we should do anyway to keep our intestines and kidneys happy, and to help keep us from confusing thirst with hunger.
The calcium from low-fat dairy doesn't specifically help burn more calories, but it may do a couple of things to help discourage body fat. Results from a recent Danish study suggest that we might absorb fewer fat calories from a meal when we consume calcium from low-fat dairy.
In another recent study, eating more calcium-rich foods, including low-fat dairy products, appeared to be linked to lower amounts of belly fat, particularly in young adult white males.
6. Drink 8 Cups of Water a Day
Just about everything you call on your body to do burns calories, including absorbing and utilizing water while maintaining fluid balance. Drinking almost eight cups of water (2 liters) may help burn nearly 100 extra calories a day. That may not sound like much, but it could add up to 700 calories a week or 2,800 calories a month. And that's by doing something we should do anyway to keep our intestines and kidneys happy, and to help keep us from confusing thirst with hunger.
7. Move more
Any type of movement requires energy, so make the effort to consciously keep your body moving throughout the day. One study even found that informal movement such as fidgeting may be more important than formal workouts in determining who is lean and who is obese. When you don't feel like doing dishes or folding laundry do it anyway. Be active! Good Luck!
Any type of movement requires energy, so make the effort to consciously keep your body moving throughout the day. One study even found that informal movement such as fidgeting may be more important than formal workouts in determining who is lean and who is obese. When you don't feel like doing dishes or folding laundry do it anyway. Be active! Good Luck!
Diet and exercise are good topics to discuss with your doctor. Before starting a new exercise regimen or supplementing your diet, it would be good to talk it over with your doctor. If you have certain medical conditions or are taking certain medications, there may be activities or dietary supplements that you should avoid.
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